Neda & I are on I-10 heading West on the 9 hour drive to Big Bend National Park. We left Austin this morning to a wonderful send-off from our neighbors: Jane, Pat, Janet & Carlos. The last week has been bittersweet as we prepared for our next adventure while saying goodbye to those we have come to love in Austin. Last Saturday we had a goodbye get together and got to see all of our different spheres converge: friends from the Zen Center, from work, from random places in Austin, and our neighbors from Eden Roc. We basked in an overwhelming feeling of love from all those who came to see us off.

It’s funny that sometimes you don’t realize the impact you have on people’s lives until you get ready to part ways. You get right at the chaff of your relationships when years separate the next time you’ll see each other. But over this week as neighbors threw dinner parties to feed us, filled up our first tank of gas, and generally spent as much time as possible with us before leaving, we realized that the guts of these relationships we have built are strong and run deep. And so as we leave Austin homeless, we also feel we always have a home there.

And so now we excitedly giggle about the road ahead. First stop is Big Bend and the splendor of purple mountain majesty. We’ll spend the next few days hiking around the park, doing yoga in the desert at dusk, and reminding ourselves that only through the love of others could we ever have found the courage to embark on this wild journey!

Authors

Jeff & Neda Fields had a dream. Save some money, sell all of our stuff, and go travel the world! Join us as we sample the wisdom and food of different cultures while exploring "mini-retirement" on a budget...